Magnetic beverage holder with cluster magnets and biasing tabs

ABSTRACT

A beverage holder having a molded polymeric outer shell; a molded polymeric liner disposed inside the shell, a cluster of closely spaced magnets disposed on one side of the holder between the shell and the liner, the magnets cooperating with the shell to present a substantially flat, outwardly facing surface, and the liner having a biasing member exerting a force radially inward. The magnet cluster causes the holder to be attachable to a substantially vertical ferrous-metal-containing surface with sufficient attractive force to support the weight of a full beverage container disposed inside the holder. A beverage holder having magnets disposed in both the side and bottom walls, and a docking disk assembly useful in supporting the beverage holder on non-ferrous mounting surfaces is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No.10/662,582, filed Sep. 15, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a beverage holder of the type commonly usedfor holding a single-serving, canned or bottled beverage and for keepingit cool during consumption. Such holders, sometimes referred to as“coozies,” are typically made, at least in part, of a thermallyinsulative polymeric material.

2. Description of Related Art

Polymeric beverage holders useful with single cans or bottles are wellknown. Ordinarily, such beverage holders are made with a sidewall thatis substantially cylindrical and a bottom that is unitarily formed orseparately made. If separately made, the bottom is typically attached tothe lower end of the sidewall around the circumference of the holderusing an adhesive, by sonic welding, or by other similarly effectivemeans. Alternatively, the sidewalls of conventional beverage holders aresometimes made so that at least the outwardly facing surface iscurvilinear in both the vertical and circumferential directions toprovide an outside profile that is distinctive in appearance and is moreeasily gripped by a user. Processes such as dip molding and injectionmolding are often used to make the subject articles. Materials known foruse in making conventional beverage holders can include, for example andwithout limitation, foamed or unfoamed, moldable polymeric resins,elastomers or combinations thereof. Examples of such polymers includepolyurethane, polyalkenes, neoprene, polyurea, polystyrene, polyamidesand polyisocyanates. Outer layers or coatings of a dissimilar material,such as a synthetic fabric, are sometimes provided to facilitate theapplication of printing or other graphics to the outside surface, or toachieve other benefits or effects in appearance and/or function. In somecases, an aperture is provided in the side or bottom wall to facilitatethe ingress or egress of air during removal or insertion, respectively,of a can or bottle from a snugly fitting inside wall.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,665, for example, discloses a container insulationapparatus having a wider diameter base than sidewall created by wrappingunicellular foam around a round disk that serves at the bottom andapplying a vinyl coating to the sidewall to taper the sidewall sleeveabove the round bottom. A hole is cut through the sidewall sleeve nearthe base end to function as a vacuum breaker during removal of abeverage container from the sleeve.

Other beverage holders have previously been disclosed that employmagnets to impart a magnetic field to the contained beverage. Suchfields are taught, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,319 and otherreferences cited therein to promote preservation and purification of thecontained liquids, or to provide other perceived therapeutic benefits.FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,319 discloses the use of an axial ringmagnet in the sidewall of an insulating beverage overlayer made of blownpolymeric foam for such purposes. The use of a flexible magnet havingferromagnetic particles embedded in an elastically deformable sheet, ora plurality of bar magnets disposed around the circumference of a foamcylinder to impart a magnetic field to the beverage, is also disclosed.

Other beverage holders have previously been disclosed that employmagnets to stabilize a beverage container on an underlying supportsurface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,459 discloses the use of permanent magnetsto retain dishes on a tray when transporting the tray to a table. U.S.Pat. No. 5,186,350 discloses an insulated beverage container holderhaving a recess in its bottom surface to receive a disk-shaped magnetthat is attachable to the bottom for the purpose of maintaining thebeverage container on an underlying support surface. U.S. Pat. No.6,065,632 discloses another container for beverages having a magneticbase that stabilizes the container when placed on underlying metallicsurfaces. In that device, the magnet is preferably of the ceramic typeor else made by pouring a ferrous-metal-impregnated plastic into thebase of the outer wall section and allowed to solidify while exposed toa magnetic field. The resulting magnet rests on the outer floor portionand is integral with the container so that its weight serves as ballastwhile the magnetic field clamps the container to an underlying metallicsurface.

The use of magnets in beverage holders as disclosed in the prior artdoes not, however, function satisfactorily for the purpose of firmlysupporting a full can or bottle of beverage in an upright orientation ona substantially vertical, ferrous-metal-containing support surface, suchas the side of a motor vehicle, steel beam, wall, filing cabinet, or thelike. The use of a ring magnet or a plurality of magnets spaced aroundthe periphery of the sidewall of a cylindrical beverage holder has beenfound to provide insufficient contact with a substantially planar andvertical support surface to hold a beverage firmly in one position. Suchbeverage holders tend to detach, slide down the vertical surface, or“roll” sideways over the metal surface under the influence of themagnetic field.

Applicant has previously disclosed a beverage holder having a single,large-diameter, disk-shaped magnet disposed in the sidewall as beingnecessary for providing a flat surface of sufficient area and a holdingforce strong enough to support the subject beverage holder and anassociated beverage container in a stationary position on a vertical,ferrous-metal-containing wall. However, such large magnets arecomparatively expensive for the holding force achieved and contribute toan undesirably high cost of manufacture for the subject beverage holder.

Another difficulty that has been encountered with the beverage holderpreviously disclosed relates to the diameter of the beverage containerwith which the holder is used. Because some canned single-servingbeverages that are now popular have diameters slightly smaller than thediameter of a conventional soft drink or beer can, a can supported inthe beverage holder can slide downwardly out of the holder when thebottom of the holder is tipped upwardly during consumption of thebeverage. This is particularly likely where the beverage holdercomprises a liner having a relatively slick inside surface. A beverageholder is needed that can accommodate cans or bottles of differentdiameters and exert a frictional holding force against asmaller-diameter beverage container to prevent axial slippage betweenthe container and the holder, thereby preventing accidental spillage orpossible injury to the user.

An improved beverage holder is therefore needed that has a side whichcan be attached firmly to a substantially vertical,ferrous-metal-containing support surface, even when supporting a fullbeverage container, that can be manufactured economically, and that willexert a frictional holding force against containers of variousdiameters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A beverage holder that is inexpensive but will firmly support a fullbeverage can or bottle in an upright position firmly against asubstantially vertical, ferrous-metal-containing surface is disclosedherein. The beverage holder of the invention can be conveniently used,for example, to support a beverage in an upright position on the side ofa parked motor vehicle during tailgate parties, or on the face of afiling cabinet within easy reach of an individual working at a desk,without fear of inadvertent tipping or spillage. The beverage holder ofthe invention can similarly be used to support a beverage in an uprightposition on the sides of structural members of buildings, or onmachinery or heavy equipment where there is no readily availablehorizontal surface on which to rest a beverage holder, or wherevibrations might otherwise cause a conventional beverage holder to slideoff a support surface.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, a thermallyinsulative, polymeric beverage holder is provided that has an outershell made of a flexible polymer such as polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), amolded polymeric liner that is harder and more rigid than the outershell and is slidably insertable into the outer shell, a cluster ofclosely-spaced magnets disposed in an array located on one side of thebeverage holder in a predetermined position between the shell and theliner, and at least one magnet disposed between the bottom of the linerand the bottom of the shell. The outer shell and liner preferably eachcomprise a substantially cylindrical sidewall and a bottom, but are openat the top to receive a single-serving beverage container. The linersidewall preferably further comprises a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced, axially extending slots and at least one biasing memberpositioned so as to maintain frictional contact with an outside surfaceportion of a beverage container having a diameter slightly smaller thanthe diameters of conventional single-serving beverage cans. According toa particularly preferred embodiment, one biasing member is aligned witheach circumferentially spaced slot in the liner sidewall.

The cluster of closely spaced magnets most preferably comprises acluster of four circular, disk-shaped magnets, each of which is disposedin a cooperatively shaped recess in the inside wall of the outer shell.According to one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, thefour magnets are supported on a plastic backing plate that is alsodisposed between the outer shell and the liner. The liner mostpreferably further comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced,axially extending ribs projecting slightly inward from the linersidewall to increase the rigidity of the sidewall and to reduce thecontacting surface area between the liner sidewall and the sidewall of abeverage container, thereby reducing friction between the two and makingthe container more easily insertable into the beverage holder and moreeasily removable from the beverage holder following consumption of thebeverage.

According to other, alternative embodiments of the invention, themagnets comprising the closely spaced magnet cluster can be completelyembedded in the sidewall of the shell during manufacture or can beinserted later into one or more slits made between two sidewall sectionsof the beverage holder. When installed as disclosed herein, the magnetsare not visible externally and will not scratch or mar the surface ofany ferrous-metal-containing support member to which the beverage holderis releasably secured.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a thermallyinsulative beverage holder is provided that comprises an outer shellhaving a substantially cylindrical sidewall, the sidewall providingsupport to a cluster of closely-spaced magnets disposed in aside-by-side array located on one side of the beverage holder in suchmanner that a portion of the outside surface of the outer sidewall ofthe shell is caused by the magnets to assume an substantially flat,outside surface that can be placed in contact with an abutting flatsurface of a substantially vertical, ferrous-metal-containing structuralmember and will remain in stationary contact with the structural memberto support the beverage holder in a substantially upright position untilseparated from the structural member by the user.

The beverage holder of the invention can optionally comprise, inaddition to a cluster of closely spaced sidewall magnets as describedherein, a bottom wall portion having at least one additional magnet foruse in stabilizing the beverage holder on an inclined ferrous-metalsurface on which it might slide without benefit of the holding power ofthe magnet or magnets in the bottom. When configured with magnets asdisclosed herein disposed in both the bottom and sidewalls, the user isprovided with the option of selectively placing the subject beverageholder on either a substantially vertical or an inclined ferrous-metalsurface without risk of tipping, rolling or sliding, and associatedspillage.

The magnets used in the sidewall of the subject beverage holder aredesirably permanent magnets and will collectively impart to a verticalwall comprising a ferrous-metal a magnetic attractive force that issufficiently strong and is applied over a sufficiently large area thatthe weight of a full beverage container disposed inside the holder issupported in an upright position against the wall without relativemotion between the beverage holder and the wall, and without attendantrisk of resultant tipping or spillage absent the intervention of anotherexternal force.

A further aspect of the invention is that the flat surface sectionimparted to the sidewall of a beverage holder by the cluster of closelyspaced magnets provides a convenient mounting surface by which thesubject beverage holders can be attached to metal shelving for displaypurposes at the point of sale. Thus, for example, the subject beverageholders can be releasably attached to the metal walls, shelves or doorsof display cases in which refrigerated beverages are sold. While thereis no inherent limit in the size of the beverage holders that can bemade as disclosed herein, beverage holders suitable for use with singleserving beverage containers containing up to about 20 fluid ounces areparticularly preferred.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a dockingdisk assembly comprising a ferrous metal docking disk is disclosed foruse in releasably attaching the magnetic beverage holder of theinvention to mounting surfaces that do not comprise a ferrous metal. Aparticularly preferred docking disk for use in the invention comprisesan adhesive pad on one side of the disk that is applied to a non-ferrousmounting surface by removing a peel-off paper backing and pressuring thedisk against the mounting surface. The level of adhesion between theadhesive pad and the mounting surface is desirably sufficient to supporta magnetic beverage holder as disclosed above while holding a fullsingle-serving beverage container without detaching from the mountingsurface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained inrelation to the following figures of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the magnetic beverage holder of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the magnetic beverage holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the magnetic beverage holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the magnetic beverageholder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional detail elevation view taken along line 6-6of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the magneticbeverage holder of FIG. 1, but having a plurality of spaced apart bottommagnets;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the magnetic beverage holder of theinvention with a beverage container inserted into the holder and beingsupported in a vertical position on a ferrous-metal-containing wall;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the magnetic beverageholder of the invention, which is shown supported on an inclinedsupporting surface; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a self-adhesive, ferrous metal dockingdisk suitable for use with the magnetic beverage holder of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The structure and configuration of a preferred beverage holder 10 of theinvention are further described and explained below in relation to FIGS.1 through 6 of the drawings. Referring to FIG. 4, beverage holder 10preferably comprises a thermally insulative, flexible, polymeric shell12 that optionally comprises a foamed or elastomeric component; a moldedpolymeric liner 14 that is desirably more rigid than shell 12; a clusterof closely spaced, disk-shaped magnets 46; and a magnet backing plate 44that is also most preferably made of molded plastic. Both shell 12 andliner 14 of beverage holder 10 preferably comprise a substantiallycylindrical sidewall, and a bottom having at least one aperture. Theheight and internal diameter of beverage holder 10 are preferablysuitable for use with the external dimensions of a conventionalsingle-serving beverage container, typically a soft drink, juice or beercan. A further advantage of beverage holder 10 disclosed herein overprior art beverage holders is the presence of at least one biasingmember such as circumferentially spaced biasing tabs 24 that desirablyapply frictional pressure against the sidewall of the beverage containerto resist unintended axial slippage between beverage holder 10 and abeverage container during use.

Beverage containers useful with beverage holder 10 of the invention canbe made of plastic, metal or glass. From the preferred embodiment shownin FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, it is apparent that shell 12, althoughsubstantially cylindrical, can also comprise other structural andsurface features, including convex curved sections, ribbed sections, andthe like. Such structural and surface features may assist in grippingbeverage holder 10, and may contribute to strength and resistance tocollapse. Part of the outwardly facing portion of shell 12 can alsoserve as a display surface for labeling, logos, ads, or the like.Significantly, one side of the outwardly facing surface of shell 12desirably comprises a substantially flat attachment surface 20 thatoverlies a cluster of relatively small, closely spaced magnets asdiscussed in greater detail below.

The sidewall of shell 12 preferably further comprises outside and insidesurfaces, and has a top edge 16 that most preferably fits totally orpartially beneath outwardly curving top lip 18 of liner 14. Shell 12preferably comprises a moldable polymeric material, most preferablyflexible PVC or a similarly effective polymeric material. Alternatively,a foamed and/or elastomeric polymer material can be used to make shell12. The outside and inside surfaces of shell 12 most preferably have asmooth polymeric skin, and can have an overlying coating or claddingmaterial of the same or a dissimilar material. The use of a pliablepolymeric material as shell 12 of beverage holder 10 is preferred tofacilitate manual gripping of the holder. Vinyl plastisol coatings areparticularly preferred, especially where beverage holder 10 is dipmolded. It should also be appreciated that, while the sidewall of shell12 is, in its simplest form, substantially cylindrical, other internaland external geometries including curves, annular ribs, and the like,can also be molded or formed into the sidewall, especially near the topand bottom. Such features can contribute to the aesthetic appeal ofbeverage holder 10, can facilitate gripping by the user, and can alsoprovide additional strength and resistance to collapse during insertionof liner 14. Another feature of the invention is a substantially flat,outwardly facing, sidewall surface portion 20 of shell 12 that isprovided for use in attaching beverage holder 10 in an upright positionto a substantially vertical support surface or member. Shell 12 alsohelps protect the support surface from scratching that might otherwiseoccur if the surface were directly contacted by one or more magnets 46.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, bottom 36 of shell 12 can be made of thesame or a different material, and can be made unitarily with thesidewall section or can be separately formed and then attached to thelower portion of the sidewall by any suitable means. Most preferably,bottom 36 is formed together with the sidewall section of beverageholder 10 by dip molding or injection molding, or by anothermanufacturing method that is similarly effective for producing thedesired structure. Bottom 36 desirably comprises at least one aperture26 that permits the egress and ingress of air during insertion andremoval of a beverage container from beverage holder 10. Referring toFIG. 5, bottom 36 of preferably further comprises two upwardly facing,radially spaced annular rings that receive a cooperatively alignedannular boss protruding downwardly from bottom 28 of liner 14.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, liner 14 is preferably injectionmolded from a rubber-modified polymeric material such as impactpolystyrene that is more rigid than the material used for shell 12 buthas good resistance to brittle failure at low temperatures as might beencountered when contacting an ice-cold beverage container. Liner 14desirably has sufficient rigidity to permit it to be inserted into shell12 during manufacture unless shell 12 is to be formed over liner 14 bydipping. Liner 14 preferably further comprises a sidewall 38 having anoutwardly curved lip 18 at the top, a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced, longitudinally extending slots 34, and a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced, inwardly projecting, longitudinally extendingribs 22 disposed on the inside of sidewall 38. Ribs 22 help stiffensidewall 38 of liner 14 and reduce the contact area and the forcerequired to overcome friction between sidewall 38 and a full-diameterbeverage container being inserted into or withdrawn from beverage holder10. At least one, and preferably a plurality of resilient biasingmembers such as circumferentially spaced, inwardly projecting tabs 24are provided in liner 14 to reduce the effective inside diameter ofliner 14 and provide frictional contact with the outside surface ofsmaller-diameter beverage containers that may be used with beverageholder 10. When full-diameter containers are used with beverage holder10, projecting tabs 24 are desirably resilient enough and are configuredin such manner that a full-diameter, conventional beverage container canbe inserted into liner 14 without meeting strong resistance. Liner 14can be fixed to shell 12 using adhesive if desired.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, a closely spaced cluster of four round,disk-shaped magnets 46 is preferably recessed inside a side portion ofshell 12 of beverage holder 10. When configured in this manner, magnets46 are well protected so that they will not scratch aferrous-metal-containing surface in juxtaposition to outwardly facing,substantially flat attachment surface 20 but can still exert a magneticfield of sufficient strength to hold beverage holder 10 in fixedrelation to the ferrous-metal-containing surface. Because there is noneed or intention to create a magnetic flux inside the liquid disposedinside a beverage container, proximity of magnets 46 to a beveragecontainer disposed in beverage holder 10 is not important and thepositioning of magnets 46 on only one side of beverage holder 10 ispreferred.

The upwardly facing surface of bottom 28 of liner 14 preferablycomprises a plurality of spaced-apart radially extending ribs 30 and atleast one circular boss that opens downwardly to form at least onerecess 32 for at least one magnet 42 disposed beneath bottom 28. Theradial ribs and boss are preferably the same height to provide levelsupport to a beverage container inserted into liner 14. A hole in bottom28 of liner 14 is preferably aligned with a hole in bottom 36 of shell12 to form aperture 26 through the bottom of beverage holder 10. FIG. 7discloses an alternate embodiment wherein beverage holder 50 comprisesliner 58 having a bottom 56 wherein a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced bosses 52 each defines a downwardly facing recess containing adisk magnet 54.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, magnets 46 are preferably disposed inrecesses 48, and are most preferably supported in that position bybacking member 44, preferably made of injection molded plastic, that isattachable with adhesive to the inwardly facing surfaces of magnets 46and to the web of polymeric material defining recesses 48 behindattachment surface 20. Backing member 44 most preferably spans one ofthe slots 34 in liner 14 beneath biasing member 24. If shell 12 is to beformed over the exterior of liner 14 by dipping, slots 34 can be omittedand backing member 44 can be attached directly to liner 14 prior todipping. Magnets 46 can be made of any material generally characterizedas a “permanent magnet” that is shaped to impart a substantially flat,outwardly facing surface to shell 12 of beverage holder 10 once magnets46 are in place, and that are capable of being magnetized sufficientlyto support beverage holder 10 containing a full beverage container infixed juxtaposition to a substantially vertical,ferrous-metal-containing surface with which the flat, outwardly facingsurface is placed in contact during use. Such magnets are commonlyreferred to as “disk magnets” and are commercially available.

I have now discovered that by using a plurality of smaller magnetsdisposed in a closely spaced array presenting a combined outwardlyfacing surface area comparable to that of a single, larger-diameter diskmagnet, it is possible to generate an equivalent or greater holdingforce at substantially lower cost. Most preferably, magnets 46 arepressed neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnets having a diameter of about15 mm and a thickness of about 3 to 4 mm, said magnets being magnetizedsufficiently so that in combination, they can support beverage holder 10and a plastic or aluminum container holding up to about 20 fluid ouncesin fixed relation to a vertical, ferrous-metal object having a smooth,painted surface. It will be appreciated, however, upon reading thisdisclosure, that magnets 46 suitable for use in beverage holders 10 buthaving other dimensions and made of other materials can likewise be usedin the invention provided that magnet 28 can be closely grouped into acluster presenting an outwardly facing, substantially flat surface onone side of beverage holder 10 having sufficient area, magneticattraction and resistance to rolling that beverage holder 10 will remainin place in an upright position against a substantially vertical supportsurface until removed by the user or acted upon by another external,non-gravitational force. Non-limiting examples of other materials thatcan be used as magnets in the present invention include barium ferritemagnets and strontium ferrite magnets.

Referring to FIG. 8, beverage holder 10 of the invention having beveragecontainer 60 supported inside it is shown in juxtaposition to asubstantially vertical wall 62 to which beverage holder 10 is releasablyattached. At least the portion of wall 62 to which beverage holder 10 isreleasably attached is understood to comprise a ferrous metal that isattracted to the magnetic field of a cluster of closely spaced magnets46 disposed inside the sidewall of beverage holder 10 as discussedabove. The magnitude of the attractive force between wall 62 and themagnets disposed inside the sidewall of beverage holder 10, when coupledwith the normal frictional force present at the interface between wall62 and the adjacent outside surface 20 of beverage holder 10, isdesirably sufficient to resist the gravitational force exerted onbeverage holder 10 and to hold beverage holder 10 in a desired,substantially upright position relative to wall 62, even when a fullbeverage container 60 is present inside the beverage holder. Also, whilebeverage holder 10 is depicted for illustrative purposes as beingsupported by its sidewall in a substantially upright position againstwall 62, it will be appreciated upon reading this disclosure thatbeverage holder 10, when made in accordance with the present invention,can likewise be used to hold a beverage container in juxtaposition tomany other types of ferrous-metal-containing structures havingsubstantially vertical surfaces. Such structures can include, forexample, pick-up and SUV sidewalls and tailgates, metal walls, braces,I-beams, equipment, tools, furniture, fixtures, filing cabinets and thelike. FIG. 9 similarly depicts beverage holder 10 held by a magneticfield against an inclined, underlying, ferrous-metal-containing surface64. In this instance, beverage holder 10 is being held in staticrelation to surface 64 62 by the magnet 42 described above in relationto FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring to FIG. 10, docking disk assembly 66 can optionally beprovided for use in releasably attaching magnetic beverage holder 10 asdescribed above to a mounting surface that does not comprise sufficientferrous metal to generate sufficient attractive force between themounting surface and magnetic beverage holder to support the beverageholder in releasable but substantially fixed relation to the mountingsurface. Docking disk assembly 66 is particularly preferred, forexample, for use on non-ferrous mounting surfaces made of aluminum orfiberglass, which are often encountered on vehicles with plastic orfiberglass body panels, recreational vehicles, boats, motor homes,SUV's, and the like. Although docking disk assembly 66 can be made inmany varying configurations using various commercially availableadhesive products, it preferably comprises a coated ferrous-metal disk68 having sufficient mass and surface area to support the weight of amagnetic beverage holder 10 (FIG. 1) when placed in contact withsubstantially flat attraction surface 20 of beverage holder 10. One sideof metal disk 68 is preferably backed with an adhesive pad 70 having asurface not in contact with ferrous metal disk 68 that comprises apeel-away release paper 72 that can be removed immediately prior toapplying disk 68 to a mounting surface.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, metaldisk 68 is a 9 gauge, plain steel disk about two inches in diameter,about 0.15 inches thick, and has polished chrome plating with a logostamped on the outwardly facing surface. Adhesive pad 70 is preferablyabout 1.9 inches in diameter, about 0.05 inches thick, and comprisesurethane foam impregnated or coated with an acrylic adhesive. Theholding force between ferrous metal disk 68 and adhesive pad 70, andbetween adhesive pad 70 and the mounting surface, is preferablysufficient to support a magnetic beverage holder 10 (FIG. 1) containinga full single-serving beverage without accidental slippage or spillage.

While the use of a docking disk assembly 66 as described above ispreferred, it will be appreciated that other similarly effectivecoatings and holding devices for metal disk 68 can likewise be usedwithin the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, metal disk 68 canbe coated with paint or a suitable polymeric coating to prevent rust,allow for color coordination with beverage holder 10, or the like. Metaldisk 68 can be releasably or permanently secured to a non-ferrousmounting surface, provided that the holding power is sufficient toprovide support to magnetic beverage holder 10 during use. Othersimilarly effective attachment devices useful for attaching metal disk68 to a non-ferrous mounting surface can include, for example,selectively releasable adhesive pads such as those marketed under theCommand trademark by 3M Corporation; Velcro brand fasteners; mechanicalinterlocks, or the like.

Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewisebecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading thepresent disclosure, and it is intended that the scope of the inventiondisclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of theappended claims to which the inventor is legally entitled.

1. A holder for a single-serving beverage container, the holdercomprising a substantially cylindrical, flexible polymeric shell havinga substantially continuous bottom and an open top; an injection molded,substantially cylindrical polymeric liner disposed inside the shell, theliner also having a substantially continuous bottom and an open top; anda cluster of closely spaced magnets disposed between the shell and linerto define a substantially flat magnetic attraction surface on a side ofthe shell, the magnets collectively exerting an attraction forcesufficient to support the holder and a beverage container disposedinside the holder against a substantially verticalferrous-metal-containing surface without relative movement between theholder and the ferrous-metal-containing surface; wherein the linerfurther comprises at least one biasing member exerting a force radiallyinward against a surface of the beverage container disposed inside theholder.
 2. The holder of claim 1, further comprising at least one magnetdisposed between the bottom of the liner and the bottom of the shell. 3.The holder of claim 1 wherein the magnets are disposed in recessesformed in a sidewall of the shell.
 4. The holder of claim 1 wherein thecluster comprises four disk-shaped magnets.
 5. The holder of claim 1wherein the magnets are round and have a diameter of about 15 mm.
 6. Theholder of claim 1 wherein the magnets have a thickness of about 3 mm. 7.The holder of claim 1 wherein the magnet are permanent magnets.
 8. Theholder of claim 7 wherein the magnets are made of a material selectedfrom the group consisting of neodymium iron boron, barium ferrite andstrontium ferrite.
 9. The holder of claim 1, further comprising abacking member disposed between the magnets and the liner.
 10. Theholder of claim 1 wherein the liner further comprises at least onebiasing member exerting a force directed radially inward.
 11. The holderof claim 10 wherein the liner comprises a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced biasing members, each of which exerts a force directed radiallyinward.
 12. The holder of claim 1 wherein the shell is applied to theliner by dip molding.
 13. The holder of claim 1 wherein the shell isattached to the liner using an adhesive.
 14. The holder of claim 1wherein at least a portion of the polymeric shell is foamed.
 15. Theholder of claim 1 wherein the sidewall and bottom are unitarily formed.16. The holder of claim 1 wherein the polymeric liner is more rigid thanthe shell.
 17. The holder of claim 1 wherein the liner comprises aplurality of circumferentially spaced slots.
 18. The holder of claim 1wherein an aperture extends through both the bottom of the shell and thebottom of the liner.
 19. The holder of claim 1 wherein the liner has anannular lip disposed around the open top.
 20. The holder of claim 1wherein there is at least one air gap between the shell and the liner.21. The holder of claim 1 wherein the liner further comprises aplurality of longitudinally extending ribs.
 22. The holder of claim 21wherein the reinforcing ribs are circumferentially spaced and arecontacted by the beverage container when the beverage container isinserted into the beverage holder.
 23. The holder of claim 1 wherein theshell comprises flexible polyvinyl chloride.
 24. The holder of claim 1in combination with a docking disk assembly comprising a ferrous-metaldisk, the assembly being attachable to a mounting surface lackingsufficient ferrous metal to produce an attraction force adequate toreleasably support the holder and a beverage container disposed in theholder in a substantially fixed position relative to the mountingsurface.
 25. The holder of claim 24 wherein the docking disk assemblycomprises a steel disk having one side releasably attachable to theholder and another side having an adhesive pad attachable to a mountingsurface.
 26. The holder of claim 25 wherein the adhesive pad comprisesurethane foam and an acrylic adhesive.